So, the first trial of the year...

Well, here it is day 2 of 2010. And As I went down to steal ham from my mother in law she was in the middle of an unhappy rant. Fortunately, not about me. She's really cool about that. She loves me very much and I'm happy to say that I've got a good mother in law that likes me instead of the stereotypical hate relationship between husband and mother in law.

Anyway, she has done something most admirable in taking in a friend of mine and his three children. He is married, but the wife has decided that since she's back in the military that she wants her freedom. Sometimes it happens, but now it's including abandoning her 3 children, and not doing what she's supposed to do to take care of them. This has made it hard on the house here because she's not sending money like she's supposed to in order to support her children. The father, although a good guy for the most part is a bit irresponsible himself, and it has come to the point that I feel he is using my family whether he realizes it or not. This doesn't count the fact that Jennifer is homeschooling his daughter, Joan takes care of his kids when he's not making them nap or while he's on the computer...and does he thank them? Has he offered any compensation for babysitting? No...he could at least make an offer of compensation to Jennifer for teaching his daughter. Instead he complains that she may not be doing it right because his daughter is a special needs girl and has mental problems. The only problem is she's ADHD and she craves attention...

He's been living here since October, and has finally paid a grand total of 200 dollars for rent, and only in the past 2 weeks. 100 bucks per paycheck from his job at Winn Dixie. Supposedly, his wife is to be sending 1000 a month split in 2 checks as she gets paid, which is not enough. But, she must make sure she has enough money to care for herself in buying a new car, a new laptop, a new GPS, various piercings, etc. Because you know, you've gotta have your priorities. She lives on base, so she gets military support. So my questions is, why does she not care for her children?

Also, on this end, my question is, where the hell is there rest of the money going that he should be paying for rent, buying food for his kids, etc...

Joan is very unhappy with the situation as of late because he's piling his stuff up everywhere. She can't get out her front door on to the front porch (which she doesn't use that door a lot, but it's the principle of the matter) because his stuff if piled around the door...the room he sleeps in he's used thumbtacks to put up blankets around the window to make it darker; and this comes after he had her buy new curtains or blinds for the rooms...but now there's holes all in the wall.

On top of that, he's told her the living situation may extended until March. I don't think she can put up with it that much longer, and it is impeding on her plans as well for this year...

Throw this on top of she spent right at a thousand bucks this last month for food alone...and she's the only person in her household. No way she should be eating a grand a month in food...again I ask...where the hell is his money going?

I've tried to talk to him about it, just talk. Not yell or cuss at him or beat the hell out of him, but he avoids me. I don't want to have to resort to the other methods...

Funny how well you get to know "a friend" when they live with you...seems he may not be the friend or responsible father I thought he was.

(Coming soon, a rant on my other brother in law. Even more fun for the mother in law...)

So yeah, trials and tribulations have already begun this year. Now it's time to figure out how to solve it, and get past it. I just hope I can do it peacefully and diplomatically. I hate to lose a friend, but if he can't understand then maybe he's not the friend he should be.

Until next time,

Hammer